OneShots
by murrey-2012
Summary: This is just a series of one-shots. It's like my other story Holiday Happenings but without the holiday themes.
1. You Don't Talk Much, Do You?

**Okay everybody, I am happy to say that I am in fact getting caught up with my stories. Now that I have updated my four stories, I decided to get started on the one-shots. I had 12 people respond to my poll and the top vote is, you guessed it, "You Don't Talk Much, Do You". However, I have a feeling that some of you will be disappointed with this one. I bet when you voted, you expected it to be a Chlerek one-shot. However, this one is Derek and Simon. It is their first meeting when Derek is still with the Edison Group.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

Sighing, I looked down at my work. We were learning how to add and the teacher was giving the other boys special treatment because they didn't understand it. I knew better though. I knew that they weren't even trying and that all they wanted was the attention. I didn't care. I understood how to add and I even knew how to subtract. I taught myself that. And because I understood it, I had already finished the packet they gave us. The bad side though was now I had nothing to do. We still had 15 minutes left of class and then they would let us out into the playground for a little while before we started reading. However, no matter how much time until the break, I still had nothing to do. Each day when they let us out, the other boys would go outside and play together, but I had nobody to play with. I had to sit by myself while I watched the others play. I didn't really want to play with them. They were mean and were always pushing me around. The nurses never did anything about it either. I learned fast that no matter how many times I told on them, they never got in trouble. Now I don't tell on them anymore.

"Alright, boys," the teacher said. "Time's up. You can put away your things and go outside."

The other boys rushed out of their seat so fast that their chairs flew back and toppled over. They didn't even bother picking them up. I, however, took my time putting my math stuff in my desk and then standing up, pushing in my chair. As I walked by the teacher, I couldn't help but notice the small look of disgust on her face. I didn't think anything about it though. Instead, I kept walking out of the classroom and into the hallway. As I was walking down the hall, I heard my name being called. I stopped and turned around. A tall man with black hair was walking toward me. With him was a boy who looked like him but with blond hair. I knew the man. His name was Kit. He sometimes came to talk to the other adults. Sometimes he brought me stuff, like candy. I didn't know the boy though.

"Hi, Derek," Kit said, stopping in front of me.

"Hello," I said.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Fine," I said.

"That's good," he said. "I want you to meet somebody."

He looked behind him and motioned for the little boy to walk up to me. The boy walked around him and stopped in front of me.

"Derek," Kit said, "This is my son, Simon."

"Hi," Simon said enthusiastically.

I was a little surprised by his enthusiasm in meeting me. Nobody liked meeting me. Hesitantly, I said, "Hi."

He didn't seem bothered by my hesitance. Instead, he just smiled.

"Derek," Kit said.

I looked up at him.

"I have to talk to Dr. Banks and I was wondering if you could watch Simon for me," he said.

Not wanting to be rude, I said, "Okay."

Kit smiled and said, "Thank you. Simon, I want you to listen to Derek, okay?"

"Sure, Dad," he said.

We watched as Kit walked down the hall in the direction he had come from and through a door. When the door closed, Simon turned to me and said, "What do you do for fun here?"

"Fun?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah," he said.

When I still looked confused, he said, "You know, what do you play with?"

"I don't," I said.

"What?" he said, surprised. "Don't you have any toys?"

"No," I said.

"How do you live?" he said, dramatically.

I shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Well, where were you going?" he asked.

"Outside," I said.

"Well then, come on," he said and he started walking.

I didn't really know what to do, but Kit had asked me to watch Simon, so I followed him. When he passed the door to the outside, I stopped. He noticed I wasn't following him anymore and turned around. When he saw me standing at the door, he just smiled and walked back to me.

"This is the door?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Well then, out we go," he said, grabbing the handle and twisting it. He tried to pull it open, but he wasn't strong enough so I grabbed the middle of the door and helped him pull and with the two of us, we got the door open.

We stepped out into the sun and I held my hand up above my eye to block out the sun. I spent most of my day inside and this was the only time a day I got to go outside, so every time I did, I had to let my eyes adjust. As they did, Simon wondered off. When I could finally see, Simon was no longer next to me. I started to panic. It wasn't safe out here and I told Kit that I would watch Simon. I knew that if something happened to him, I would be punished.

I scanned the small playground but I couldn't find him. And what frightened me more was that I couldn't find the other boys. If they found Simon, they wouldn't hesitate to make him their next victim. They hated me and were constantly picking on me and hitting me. Simon was an outsider. Besides the fact that he didn't know what they could do, they would hate him more because he didn't belong.

I ran around the wall of the jungle gym and breathed a sigh of relief. Simon was standing there trying to reach a knotted rope. As I started to walk over to him, I froze. Standing a little ways off were the others. They were standing around the sand box. They didn't appear to have noticed Simon yet and I was determined to keep it that way. I walked over to Simon was grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the other side of the wall, trying not to make a sound which would draw the attention of the others. Simon, however, didn't get the message.

"What are you doing?" he asked, quite loudly.

At the sound of his voice, the others turned around.

"Let's go," I said, quietly.

"Why?" Simon said. "What about the jungle gym?"

"Not now," I said.

"Why not?" he said.

I looked over his shoulder at the others, who were looking at Simon like he was prey. Simon saw me look and turned around.

"You didn't say there were others," he said. "Let's go play with them."

He started to walk over to them and I quickly reached out and grabbed him arm to stop him. He felt my hand and turned to look at me. He gave me a questioning look and tried to pull his arm back. I held tight and shook my head.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Before I could answer, I voice came from behind him.

"What do we have here?"

I looked up to see the three other boys walking over to us. I didn't say anything. I just stood still, not wanting to anger them. They walked up to Simon and stopped. Simon reached out a hand and said, "Hi."

They looked at him for a minute and Dominic, the leader, stepped forward and pushed Simon down. Simon fell backward onto his butt and sat there, surprised. I stepped forward and shoved Dominic back, angry at what he had done to Simon. He tripped over his feet and fell back. He looked up and behind me. He started fake crying. The others looked behind me and started fake crying too. I turned around was instantly filled with fear. One of the adults was marching towards us. I knew that she had seen me push Dominic and I knew I was about to be punished. When she reached us, she looked at Simon on the ground and frowned. She then looked over at the others and her frown grew. She looked at me. I looked down, hoping to draw less attention to myself.

"Derek," she said. "Grab you friend and follow me."

I reached down and grabbed Simon's hand and pulled him to his feet. He brushed himself off and followed me, not saying a word. The adult led us through the door and into a room I was in whenever Dr. Banks asked me questions.

"You boys can stay here until Mr. Bae comes back," she said, walking out the door and shutting it behind her.

I was confused. Wasn't I going to be punished? This wasn't the type of punishment I usually got. I looked at Simon, who was now looking through all the cabinets. I shook my head and walked over to one of the chairs. I pulled myself into in and watched Simon as he explored every aspect of the room. After a while, he had nothing left to look at.

"I'm bored," he said.

I just sat there.

"We should do something," he said.

I still said nothing.

He looked over at me and I just stared back.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he asked.

I shook my head. He smiled and said, "Well, that's all right. I talk enough for the both of us."

At that, I smiled a little. When he saw my smile, his got even bigger. He walked over and sat in the chair next to me.

"So how old are you?" he asked.

"Five," I said.

"Cool," he said. "I'll be five soon. Then we'll be the same age. What do you like to do?"

I thought for a second before saying, "Reading."

"You can read?" he said, amazed. "I can't yet, but Dad said I will in September. That's when I start school. Do you go to school yet?"

"No," I said, not knowing what school was.

"Well, you're five, so I guess that means you'll be starting in the fall," he said. "Do you know what school you're going to?"

"What's school?" I asked.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "You don't know what school is?"

"No," I said.

"Well, school is…um… it's where you learn, I guess," he said.

"I learn here," I said.

"Really?" he said.

I nodded.

"Well, I guess that makes this school," he said.

"Oh," I said. "I don't like school."

"I don't think I like school either," he said, slumping in his chair.

"So, um, what do _you_ like to do?" I asked.

He instantly perked up. "I like to draw. And I like to play basketball."

"What's basketball?" I asked.

"You don't know what basketball is?" he asked, his eyes going wide. "It's the best sport ever! There are two teams and each team tries to get points by throwing a ball into a hoop."

"Why?" I asked.

"Cause it's fun," he said.

He spent the rest of the time explaining the rules of basketball and everything related to it that came to mind. And I listened to every word. Nobody ever talked to me and Simon's willingness to talk to me nonstop was refreshing. I had never heard so many different kinds of words spoken in such a short time period. And Simon didn't care that I didn't have anything to add to the conversation. He always had something to say.

When he started to talk about different sports teams, the door opened. He stopped talking and we looked toward the door. When the door opened wider, Kit walked through.

"Hey Dad," Simon said.

"Hi," he said, "Did you boys find something to do?"

"Yeah," Simon said. "We talked about basketball. Did you know that Derek doesn't know what basketball is?"

Kit smiled and said, "Something tells me he does now. So you ready to go?"

"Yeah," he said. He hopped off his seat and walked over to Kit.

"Well, Derek, thank you for watching Simon," Kit said.

"You're welcome," I said.

"Bye Derek!" Simon said. "See you later."

"Bye," I said as Simon followed Kit out of the room. Not knowing what else to do, I just stayed sitting in the seat. I looked down at my hands in my lap. What did he mean by later? Does he want to come back? I remembered what the woman had said when she told me to come inside. She told me bring my friend. Was Simon my friend? I thought for a little bit and smiled. I have a friend.

**So what do you think? I personally thought this was one of my better ones. It wasn't where I had originally planned on it to go, but I think this is better. **


	2. What Now?

**Okay everyone; this is just a one-shot to hold you guys over until I can get the other ones updated. This takes place during The Awakening when Chloe and Derek are separated from Simon and Tori. They are walking through a town trying not to raise any attention.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

We've been walking for an hour now through some small town. I didn't know the name, but Derek told me it wasn't even on a map. I thought that meant that the Edison Group wouldn't find us here, but he won't let his guard down. I wouldn't mind so much, but there is such a thing as being too protective. When we got to the town, he made sure I was kept behind him enough to keep my face out of sight but not far enough so that he couldn't see me. He wouldn't let me talk any louder than a whisper in case anybody recognized my voice. And when we got hungry, he made me hide behind a dumpster in the alley next to the convenient store while he went in because he didn't want any attention drawn to me if I went in with him.

That was a half hour ago. Now, we were walking around the town side-by-side looking for a bus station. So far we've failed in our search. I wanted to ask Derek what we would do if we didn't find one, but I knew he wouldn't be happy if I spoke. Not that I listened to him half the time, but he was already in a bad mood and I didn't want to add to that.

A cold wind blew past us and went right through my sweatshirt. Trying to be discreet, I pulled my sweatshirt closer to me. I didn't want Derek to know I was cold. He had enough to worry about as it was. Over the last couple of weeks, all of us had been planning our escape, well, except for Tori. But now that I thought about it, Derek was the one who had the biggest burden. He was the one who had to tell me I was a necromancer. He was the one who had to help me rebury corpses. He was the one who had to do all the big planning, like when we left Lyle House and where we go once we were out. He was the one who had to worry about protecting us because, though we were on edge, we really didn't consider all the possibilities of what could happen if the Edison Group caught up with us. I would bet my entire bank account that those possibilities were running through Derek's head right now as we walked side by side. I wanted to ease some of that burden but I wasn't sure if he would consider that an insult. Plus I didn't know how.

I looked up to my left and looked discreetly at his face. I could see how somebody who didn't know him might misunderstand him. It wasn't just the acne or the greasy hair. It was how he showed himself to the world. After years of mistreatment, he seemed have accepted it. His face was set in what seemed to be a permanent scowl. The acne and hair were something he couldn't control but there were other things he could. He chose to wear clothes that were too big to hide his muscles. His attempt to be less intimidating just gave everybody something else to judge him on. He chose to wear the scowl on his face. It made him look mean. Everybody thought he was a mean, antisocial kid, so that's what he became. I wanted to tell him what I thought. How just because everybody else thought he was mean and ugly, didn't mean that I did. Sure, I had originally thought so, but that was before I knew him. Somehow I got through that scowl. I saw that scared teenager he was hiding behind those baggy clothes. And all I wanted to do was wipe away that scowl and bring a smile to his face. I wondered how long it had been since he had smiled. Or laughed. I'm sure that whenever it was, it was with Simon. The only time he felt a little freedom was when he was alone with Simon. It was the only time that he wasn't judged.

However, Simon didn't understand everything. He didn't know the struggles Derek had to put up with because of what he was. He knows that Derek's a werewolf and that means changing into a wolf, but he didn't understand the process. He didn't understand the pain of having your body ripped apart from the inside. I would never fully understand, but being there with Derek during the change helped me understand. It helped me understand him. When Simon saw Derek, he saw his older brother, the strong werewolf, the genius. But there was more to him than that. While he is strong and smarter than his own good, he wasn't as strong or as smart as he appeared. I'll admit, being able to throw a full grown man into another full grown man was pretty amazing, but there is more than one kind of strength. He has to put up with a lot. He had to do all the planning, which meant that everybody's life was in his hands. He is sixteen years old. No person should have that kind of responsibility. He had been pushed since day one to act older and to be responsible. He shouldn't have that burden.

I looked away and looked straight ahead. It was getting dark and there were only a few street lights. Contrary to what Tori believes, I am not afraid of the dark. Not completely, anyway. However, being in a strange town on the run from people who want to capture me does raise some fear and in combination with the dark unknowns of every alley we pass by, my heart was steadily beating faster than normal. Having Derek next to me was a little comforting, but I wasn't sure if he was mad at me or not so I wasn't sure how far that comfort should go. He wouldn't let me get captured no matter how mad he was but I'd rather be under the protection of somebody who wasn't willing to rip me a new one if I put one foot out of line.

The wind whipped past us again and I felt the icy chill underneath my sweatshirt. I could feel heat radiate off of Derek next to me and I tried to move closer as discreetly as I could. As we kept walking, he didn't say anything or move away, so I took that as an OK. I could still feel the cold, but I didn't want to risk moving any closer. He seemed to notice, though, and took a small step closer to me. I instantly felt the heat. It wasn't enough though. Listening to the cold and not really paying attention to what I was doing, my hand found its way into his jacket pocket, where he had shoved his hands into. His hands were scalding from the fever left over and I could feel the heat course through me. It wasn't until his stiffened that I realized what I had done. I'm sure my face resembled a tomato, but I was too embarrassed to react. I stared straight ahead and hoped he wouldn't get mad at my impulsive move. I felt him relax and his hand moved. I thought he was going to pull mine from his pocket but he wound his around mine and wove his fingers between mine. When I didn't respond, he gently squeezed my hand. At that, I practically melted into him, basking in the heat. I leaned into him and he shifted his arm. He brought his hand out of his pocket and I started to move away, thinking he was going to push me away. Instead, his arm went around my shoulder and pulled me closer. When I moved into him, his hand moved down my side and went into my pocket, weaving around my right hand. My left hand was still in his pocket and he replaced his right one with his left. Between his hands and being nestled in his arm, I couldn't feel the cold. I leaned my head into his side and just savored the warmth. I know that friends don't usually walk like this, but I didn't care. It was cold and he was warm and that was all that was going through my mind. Farther up the street, an older couple saw us and I heard them comment on the "cute couple" and "how sweet he was".

"We should probably find a motel," he said, his voice startling me.

"Huh?" I asked, dumbly, looking up.

He looked down at me and said, "It's late and we aren't going to find a bus station tonight. It's not even dark yet and it's getting colder by the minute. We should find a motel, something cheap, but at least it will keep us warm. I don't want you out in this wind any longer than you have to be."

"I'm not that cold," I said, not wanting him to worry about me.

"Chloe, you're hands are colder than icicles and that's inside your pocket. Your face doesn't have any protection," he said, always the logical one.

"Do we have enough for a room?" I asked.

"We do or we don't," he said. "Right now, I could care less about the money. We'll get more if we need it."

I wanted to argue a little more about him not having to worry about me, but the thought of a warm bed was too inviting. Plus, it wasn't just me that could benefit. Derek needed to be inside as much as I did and he needed to rest. I nodded up at him and he steered us toward the other side of the street. I didn't know where he was taking us, but I trusted him. After ten minutes, he stopped in front of a building. I looked up. I couldn't read the name, but I could see the word motel. Derek brought his hand out of my pocket and unwound his arm from around me. I instantly missed the feel of his hand on mine. It was short lived, though, as he took my hand again and pulled me into the building after him. Inside, there was a desk with a man sitting at it. He didn't look trustworthy and I moved closer to Derek. We walked up to the desk and I moved behind him and tilted my head down.

"How much for a room?" Derek asked.

The man didn't look up as he said, "35 a night."

Derek reached into his pocket and counted out the money. He set it on the desk and the man handed him a key, still without looking up. Derek grabbed the key and pulled me with him toward the hall of rooms. I followed him through the hall and around a corner. He stopped outside a door and inserted the key. When he twisted, the lock clicked and he pushed open the door. I flicked on the light and looked around. The room was tiny. The only furnishing was a single bed. And it wasn't even queen sized.

"You can have the bed," Derek said.

"What about you?" I asked.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he said.

"Derek, there isn't enough floor to sleep on," I said.

He looked down and sighed. "Maybe I can get the guy to give us a bigger room."

"I'll come with," I said.

I could tell he wanted to protest, but I said, "It's probably better if we stick together."

He couldn't find anything wrong with that and nodded. We left the room and started walking toward the front desk. When we got there, the guy was still staring down at a magazine.

"Is there any chance for a bigger room?" Derek asked.

"Nope," the guy said.

"You don't have anything with two beds?" Derek questioned.

"Nope," the guy said again.

I leaned up and whispered to Derek, "Ask him if there are any vending machines."

He looked down at me questioning.

"Food," I said.

He nodded and turned to the guy. "Are there any vending machines?"

The guy pointed to a hall on the other side of the room. Derek grabbed my hand and pulled me after him. We walked down the hall and stepped into a small room that branched out of the hall. We stopped in front of the machine and Derek scowled. I was about to ask him was wrong when I looked at the price of a bag of chips: 5 dollars. He looked down at me and back at the machine.

"I know you're hungry, but I don't want to blow our money on a waste like this," he said. "Maybe we can find something better."

"It's okay," I said. "I'm not that hungry. I can wait."

He studied my face and I could see a little guilt in his eyes. He looked away and nodded. We started walking back to the room with the desk when he froze. I looked around him and I froze too. Standing at the desk were two people dressed in black and holding out two pictures to the guy.

"What are they saying?" I whispered.

"They're asking him if he recognizes the people in the pictures," he whispered back.

"What is he saying?" I asked.

"He says he doesn't," he answered.

"What are they saying now?" I asked.

"They're asking if they can look around," he said.

My breathing hitched as I asked, "And he said?"

"He said yeah but they can't look in the rooms," he said.

My breathing relaxed until I thought of something. "How do we get to out room with them there?"

"We'll wait unti-"

He suddenly grabbed my arm and yanked. I gasped and followed after him. He pulled us until we were around the corner.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"They're coming this way," he said.

I started to panic. "What now?"

He suddenly pulled us farther and stopped at the vending machines. There was another couple there now looking at the food. We stopped.

"What are we going to do?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said, looking around. The other couple didn't seem to notice us.

"We have to do something," I said.

"Well, what do they do in movies?" he asked, obviously out of ideas.

I didn't think as I heard footsteps coming down the hall. Instead, I thought of movies and grabbed Derek by the collar. He looked down at me confused. I pulled at his collar and lifted myself on my toes. He didn't have time to react as I pressed my lips to his. I felt him stiffen but I didn't relinquish my hold. The footsteps got closer and I felt Derek's arms wrap around me and pull me to him. My arms lifted and wound around his neck as his lips pressed against mine with more force. His arms held me tight against him. My mouth opened to take a breath and his tongue slipped in. I had never kissed anybody before, but apparently my body knew what it was doing as my tongue started battling with his. Behind me, I heard the footsteps go past and kept going until they were out of earshot. When they were gone, Derek pulled back and looked down at me. My arms fell down to my sides and he stepped back. We stared at each other for a minute before he spoke.

"What was that?" he asked.

"You asked what they did in movies," I said, looking down at my feet.

"They kiss?" he asked.

"In some movies," I said, still looking down. When he didn't say anything, I looked up at him to find him staring at me with a strange look on his face. "It was the first thing that came to my mind, okay?"

He looked at me a little longer before nodding and clearing his throat. "We should probably get back to the room."

"Uh huh," I said.

We walked back to the room with the desk just the people were leaving the building. We walked past the guy and back to our room. When we got there, neither of us spoke. I silently got in the bed and he squished on the floor. Half an hour later, I was still awake staring at the ceiling. And from the sounds of Derek's tossing and turning, I'd say he was awake too. I felt bad about making him sleep on the floor. After everything he's done for me, he doesn't deserve it. I wasn't even able to enjoy a bed knowing that Derek had to sleep on the cold floor. I turned over on my side and pulled the blankets around me tighter. Even out of the wind, I was freezing. I was trying to keep my shivering to a minimum when I heard rustling on the floor. I heard Derek get up and walking. I wondered what he was doing when I felt the blankets lift. I felt the bed dip under his weight and the blankets settle over him. The bed wasn't that big, so I could feel his arm on my back. I lay debating for a second. He probably was mad at me for kissing him and I didn't want to make him madder, but I was cold. And there was no way I was getting any sleep curled up in a tense ball. Instead, I rolled over and lifted his arm. He let me and I rested against him. I curled up around him and felt his warmth enclose me as his arm fell against me and hold me to him. My arm stretched over his chest as I held myself closer. I knew I was stepping beyond friendship and a part of me didn't care. I didn't care that Derek was a hot-tempered werewolf. I didn't care that he would chew me out any chance he got. All I needed to know was how tight he held me against him and I knew there was no going back. I couldn't be friends with Derek Souza. I wanted so much more. His fingers began to move up my arm and I sunk even farther against him. He kissed my forehead softly and murmured, "Goodnight Chloe."

I smiled and whispered, "Goodnight Derek."

**Okay, so what do you think? This went a different way than I originally planned, but I think I like this one better. This was also the least popular idea out of all of them. Hopefully you liked it. Sorry if they are a little OOC. Oh, and I have a new poll on my profile if you guys don't mind. **


	3. You're Supposed To Shake It

**Okay everyone, this one is kinda like my other one when Derek met Simon, but this one never actually happened. This is the made up meeting of Derek and Chloe when he's still with the Edison Group.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

I stormed through the hallways toward the room with the desks. The other boys were teasing me again and I didn't like it, so I left. I wasn't really supposed to leave the outside until an adult came to get us, but I couldn't take their taunting anymore. Today they were making fun of my eyes. They said it was the color of muck. They all had blue eyes. I didn't think there was anything wrong with my eyes, but apparently the color made me more of a freak.

As I turned the corner, I knew I was almost to the room with the desks. If I could make it there, I was safe. However, as I got closer, I began to get doubts. I wasn't sure if the adults would be mad at me for waiting inside. I was about to turn around when I heard voices coming from the hall behind me. I panicked and went into the first room I got to. Once inside, I thought I was safe, until the doorknob started to turn. My panic came back and I frantically looked around for a hiding place. I didn't want to get in trouble. Bad things happen when you get in trouble.

I quickly ran over to one of the cupboards and got inside, shutting the door behind me. It was dark and I couldn't see anything, but I could hear just fine. I heard the door open and footsteps come in. There were two sets of footsteps. One was heavier, meaning an adult. The other was lighter, but the sound was louder. They sounded like the shoes some of the adult women wear. I didn't like them. They always looked sharp and I always felt they were going to step on me.

I sat inside the cupboard and listened to what was being said. The adult was a woman, based on her voice.

"Alright," she said, "wait here until I come back, okay?"

The other person didn't answer, but I assumed that they had nodded because I heard the door open and the woman left. I really hoped she hurried because the cupboard was getting uncomfortable. It was dark and it smelled bad. It smelled like a dead mouse I had found outside once. I didn't tell the other boys about it, though, because they probably would have made me eaten it. Instead, I dug a hole underneath the oak tree and dropped it in. I made sure to cover the hole well so that they couldn't find it.

I sat in the cupboard for a little longer and listened. I heard a tapping as the person walked. I heard them walking to the other side of the room. I took a deep breath through my nose and instantly regretted it. With that deep breath, dust entered my nose and I started to sneeze. I tried to stop it by holding my nose shut but it didn't work and I small sneeze escaped me. I froze when I heard the tapping getting closer. My heartbeat sped up and my breathing got louder. I clapped my hands over my mouth to quiet my breathing. The tapping got closer and stopped outside the cupboard. I sat as still as I could, hoping that whoever the tapping came from didn't hear me.

After a few minutes, the tapping started again as the person started walking away. I breathed out a sigh of relief. They didn't hear me. I was safe. I pulled my legs up and hugged my knees to myself. All I had to do was wait. Eventually the woman had to come and get the person with the tapping shoes. It couldn't be that long. Unless it was that long. What if she didn't come back for a long time? I would be late. If I was late, the adults would get mad at me and I would get in trouble. I really didn't want to get in trouble.

I waited a little longer before I really started to worry. She wasn't going to come back. The person with the tapping shoes was going to be here for a long time and I was going to be stuck in this cupboard. I stretched out my legs as far as I could, which wasn't far. My knees were still propped up. Next to me I heard a scratching. I sat up and looked over, squinting. I still couldn't see anything. I suddenly felt something furry brush against my hand and I yelped. I fell backward against the doors and fell out of the cupboard. It wasn't until I heard a gasp that I remembered I wasn't alone. I turned around to see the owner of the tapping shoes. It was a little girl. I had never seen a little girl before. She was small. Much smaller than the boys I was used to. Her blond hair was down to her shoulders. The hair by her face was held back by some kind of clip. She was wearing a green dress that went down to her knees. I looked down to see the source of the tapping. She was wearing shiny, black shoes. They didn't have those long spikes on them like the adults, so I didn't know how they made the sounds. I looked back up at her face, which was studying me and looked into her blue eyes.

"Why were you sitting in the cupboard?" she asked.

"No reason," I said, getting up. She took a step forward. When I stepped back, she stopped.

"There has to be a reason," she said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because," she said.

"Well, there isn't one," I said.

"Alright," she said. She started walking toward me. I stepped back again, but my back hit the cupboard. She kept coming until she was in front of me. She stopped and held out her hand, "I'm Chloe."

I stared at her hand. What does she want me to do with it? She seemed to sense that something was wrong and said, "You're supposed to shake it."

"Shake it?" I asked.

She giggled. "Hold out your hand."

"Why?" I asked.

"So I can shake it," she said.

I was hesitant. "Is it gonna hurt?"

She giggled again. "Of course not, silly."

I hesitantly held out my hand like hers and she reached forward and grabbed it. I tensed when her hand touched mine. She gripped my hand and pulled it up and down. When she was done, she let go. I stared at my now empty hand. It didn't hurt and there were no marks. I looked up at her and she looked back at me expectantly. Now what did she want? She already shook my hand.

"Now you tell me your name," she said.

"Oh," I said. "Derek."

She smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you."

I nodded and kept looking at her. When I didn't say anything, she started to giggle again.

"You're supposed to say it back," she said.

"Say what back?" I asked. Why did she want me to do all these things?

"It's nice to meet you," she said.

"You already said that," I said.

This time she laughed. "That's what you're supposed to say back."

"Why?" I asked. She was confusing.

"Well isn't it nice to meet me?" she asked, looking a little hurt.

"I don't know," I said. "I just met you."

She giggled again and starting walking away. I watched her walk over to the table. She pulled out a chair and climbed up. And she did have to climb. The chair was a particularly high one and she was almost too short to get up. She made it though and when she got settled, she looked at me and smiled. I didn't know what to do and just stayed where I was. After a minute of silence, she pointed to the chair next to her and I got the hint. I walked over and pulled myself up. When I turned to her, she smiled again.

"How old are you?" she asked.

"Five," I said. I didn't see anything wrong with answering questions, as long as they didn't get too personal.

"Oh," she said. "You're older than me."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Four," she said. "I just turned four. I had a party and Mommy and Daddy gave me Pirate Jasmine."

"Who's Pirate Jasmine?" I asked.

"She's my doll," she said.

"Doll?" I asked. What's a doll?

"A toy," she said.

I nodded, understanding. I didn't have any toys myself, but I knew that some children had them. Like Simon, Kit's son. He sometimes visits me and we play games. He doesn't come that often, but I always look forward to when he does come. He's my friend.

"What's your favorite color?" she asked.

I thought for a second. I really didn't have a favorite color. I didn't have anything colorful so it had never made a difference. I looked up at her and looked into her blue eyes again. I thought they were kinda pretty, so I said, "Blue."

"I like green," she said, gripping her dress.

"What's so great about green?" I asked. Green was the color that was getting me teased by the other boys. I didn't like it.

"It's pretty," she said. "You're eyes are green."

"They're muck," I said, looking down.

"No they're not," she said.

"Yes they are," I said.

"Well even if they are muck, I like them," she said.

I looked up in surprise. She liked them? How could she like them? They were different. Not normal. Like me.

She changed the subject and said, "Now you ask me a question."

"What kind of question?" I asked.

"Just a question," she said. "You can ask me what my favorite something is."

I thought for a second. "What's your favorite book?"

Her face scrunched up in thought. She put her elbow in her hand and tapped her finger on her chin. It looked funny and I smiled a little. She saw the smile and asked, "What?"

"You look funny," I told her.

"I do not," she said, her hands going to her hips.

"Do to," I said.

Her hands fell and she put them in her lap. Her lip started to tremble and she looked down. I didn't know what she was doing until she sniffled. My eyes widened when I realized that she was crying. I started freaking out. I didn't mean to make her cry. I got off my chair and stood in front of hers. I didn't know how to make her stop crying. When I saw a tear slide down her cheek, I put my finger out to stop it. She looked up at me in alarm when my finger touched her face. I instantly pulled back and started stammering apologies. Touching was bad. I wasn't supposed to touch anyone. The adults got mad if I did.

I backed up and ran to the corner. I sat down and put my face in my hands. Now I was going to get in trouble. Every time I got in trouble, the punishment got worse. It started with no supper. The last time I got punished, I wasn't allowed outside for a month. I didn't want to know what they were going to do this time. I just sat in the corner and wished the world would go away. I heard the tapping again and I tensed. She was probably going to go tell on me. I heard them get closer and them I felt a hand touch my arm. My head snapped up and I met her blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I touched you," I said.

"You didn't hurt me," she said.

"I'm not supposed to touch," I said.

"Why not?" she asked.

"They don't like it," I said.

The thought for a second before saying, "But you shook my hand."

"You touched me," I said.

"Oh," she said. She took a step over and turned around. She lowered herself to the floor and sat down next to me. "I don't mind if you touch me."

I looked at her. She seemed sincere. I hesitantly reached out to her hand, which was in her lap. Before I touched it, I snapped my hand back and looked down.

"What?" she asked.

"I'll get in trouble," I said.

"I won't tell anyone," she said. "Not even Pirate Jasmine."

I looked at her hand. I took a deep breath and reached out again. I gently touched her hand with my fingertips. She didn't flinch or shy away. In fact, she extended her hand and grabbed mine. She laced her fingers through mine and tightened her grip. I looked up at her and she smiled. I looked back at our entwined hands. Her hand was small and soft.

"My favorite book is The Cat in the Hat," she said. "Mommy reads it to me every night."

"I've never read it," I said.

"It's about a cat that can talk and he visits two kids and they have adventures," she explained.

"Cat's can't talk," I said.

"I know," she said. "It's a story."

"What else happens?" I asked.

Well, there's a fish that's always telling the cat to leave," she said.

"Fish can't talk either," I said.

She laughed and scooted closer to me. She crossed her legs and leaned back into the wall. She still didn't let go of my hand.

"Fish can talk in stories," she said. "And so can cats."

I didn't say anything. She seemed to sense that I had nothing to say because she started explaining the book more. I listened. I've never talked to a girl before and I was finding myself engrossed in what this one had to say. She talked for another ten minutes before the door opened again. I tensed and looked up. A woman walked in. She looked like Chloe.

"Hi, Mommy," Chloe said.

The woman smiled and said, "Hi. Did you have fun?"

Chloe nodded and got up. She ran over to the woman and hugged her. I stayed where I was. The woman looked over at me and said, "And who's your friend?"

"Derek," Chloe said. She looked over at me. I just stared.

"Well, hello Derek," the woman said.

"Hi," I said, quietly.

The woman smiled at me and said, "Well thank you for watching over Chloe for me."

I nodded. I didn't know what else to do. The only adult that ever smiled at me was Kit.

"Bye Derek," Chloe said, waving at me.

"Bye," I said.

The woman turned and left the room, taking Chloe with her. I hoped she came back like Simon did. She was nice. Maybe if she came back, she could bring the book with her. I stood up and brushed myself off. Maybe she'll come back.

**Okay, so what did you think? This didn't go the way I planned, but oh well. Sorry if the ending sucks. I already had the first half written when I started and it's now 2:30 in the morning, so my mind is shutting down for the night. Also, I'm running out of one-shot ideas. I have one more to write and then I'm out of ideas. If anyone has any suggestions, I can see what I can do. I can't promise anything, but I'll try my hardest. **


	4. Torture:Twilight Style

**Okay, so this really isn't my usual style of writing, but I'll give it a shot. I know that a lot of you actually do like Twilight, but I am one of those who HATES it. I cannot stand it. This idea was provided by AnnieHonson, so thank you. This isn't going to be very long. It's just something to write. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

"Come on, guys," Simon said. "It'll be great."

"Isn't it supposed to be all gore?" Tori asked, crossing her arms.

"Course not," he said, "That's just the trailer. It's never the same as the movie itself."

"I don't know," I said, "It doesn't really sound like fun."

"How about you, D?" Simon asked, "You're with me, right?"

"No," Derek said, not looking up from his book. I couldn't help but smile at him. He's been spending every spare minute of the last three weeks reading. Kit had found a sorcerer selling books with information about supernaturals and had bought them. Now Derek is reading every one of them to learn as much as he could. Of course, he took a break now and then to spend time with his girlfriend. And as his girlfriend, I've made sure to always remind him when to take a break.

"You're my brother," Simon said, "You're supposed to back me up."

"According to?" Derek asked, sounding bored.

"I don't know," Simon said, "It's a rule."

"Why do you want to see this movie so badly?" Tori asked, sitting up from the chair she had been lounging in. We'd all been given breaks from training and have spent it being lazy, with the exception of Derek of course.

"Because it looks awesome!" he said.

"Fine," Derek sighed, shutting his book. "If we go with you to this stupid movie, will you shut up?"

"Yes!" Simon said.

"Might as well," Derek mumbled, setting the book down and standing up. I stood up after him and we all turned to Tori, who was filing her nails. When she finally looked up, she said, "What? I have to go too?"

"It's not as fun without all of us," Simon said, "Even if it is you."

Tori flipped him off and stood up, "Fine, I'll go. But if it sucks, you owe me."

"Why?" Simon asked.

"Because it's a few hours of my life I'll never get back," she said, walking past him.

"Whatever," Simon said. He walked out and I turned to Derek. "You sure you're okay with going? I know you hate crowds."

"It's just a few hours," he said, "As long as we can stop as get something to eat after, I'll be fine."

"Always thinking with your stomach," I teased.

"Well it's better than what most guys think with," he said, walking to the door and gesturing for me to go first.

"Did you just diss your gender?" I asked, walking past him.

"No," he said, "Just most of my gender."

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Well, mathematically speaking-"

"Forget I asked," I said, smiling back at him. He smiled back and we walked to the door together, where Simon was literally bouncing with excitement.

"We ready?" Derek asked.

"We have to wait for Tori," Simon said.

"What's she doing?" Derek asked.

"Primping," Simon said, rolling his eyes.

"Just because you can put on a T-shirt and jeans and not care if anybody sees you in it doesn't mean the rest of us wants to," Tori said, walking around the corner. "Now move it. I want to get this over with."

"Yes, your majesty," Simon said sarcastically.

When we were all outside, Derek locked the door. Kit and Aunt Lauren were at work and wouldn't get back until late.

"Shot gun!" Simon and I called at the same time.

"Chloe get's it," Derek said, getting in and starting it. I smiled at Simon and walked to the passenger side, flaunting my win as I went.

"Werewolf's pet," Simon muttered and got in next to Tori. "How come Chloe gets to always sit in front?"

"Because she isn't dragging me to watch this stupid movie," he said.

"Yeah right," Tori said, "We all know the only reason you let Chloe sit in front is because you're sleeping with her."

Derek scowled and I choked on my own spit. Not because Tori was right, but because it caught me off guard. We've only been dating for a few months and _that_ definitely wasn't on our minds yet. We hadn't even talked about it. Not that I wouldn't one day want…. Moving on.

"Is it really that hard to keep your trap shut?" Derek asked, glaring into the mirror back at her.

"Is it really that hard to keep it in your pants?" she asked, earning a growl in return. I just sighed and tuned out their arguing and Simon's laughter. After how many months, I really should be used to their arguing, but unfortunately, they still can't agree on anything.

…,,,…

"Four tickets please," Simon asked, in the process flirting with the girl in the ticket booth. And by the look of it, she didn't mind. I looked over at Derek and we exchanged a look, rolling our eyes.

"Come on, princess," Tori said, grabbing Simon by the back of his shirt and pulling him. "You know your boyfriend is waiting inside."

The girl in the ticket booth took one more look at Simon and then quickly looked away, moving onto the next person in line. Simon tried explaining that she was kidding but it was obvious that she didn't believe him. Smirking, Tori pulled Simon along by the back of his shirt until we reached our seats. I wanted the seat closest to the wall, but in order to sit by Derek, I had to take the one next to it. Derek forced Simon to sit by the wall so that he was separated from Tori.

When the movie started, I tried to get into the plot, but I inevitably found myself critiquing most of it. Most of the time I was thinking of what I would have done better. By the middle of the movie, I was critiquing so much that I had no idea what was happening in the movie. It wasn't until the main guy (or at least I think it was) had his head blown off that I actually reacted. I wasn't exactly proud of my reaction. I'd like to say that after what I've gone through, a guy getting his head blown off wouldn't make me jump and scream, but unfortunately, I'd be wrong. In my defense, Tori screamed too and so did half the theatre, including the guys. Of course, my guys didn't. Simon sat on the edge of his seat so engrossed in the movie I'm sure a bomb could go off next to him and he wouldn't hear it. Derek, on the other hand, looked over at me and raised his eyebrows, asking if I was okay. I nodded and he grabbed my hand, not entirely convinced.

The rest of the movie pretty much went exactly like that. I'd start to relax and then out of nowhere, somebody got blown to pieces. Throughout the rest of the movie, I get a firm grip on Derek's hand and even once in a while had to use his arm to bury my face into, trying to get rid of the mental picture. By the end, I was even shaking. I had to keep my arm wrapped around Derek to stop myself. Walking out of the theatre, Simon was in a good mood, smiling stupidly.

"Wasn't that awesome?" he said. "I was on the edge of my seat the entire time!"

Tori sent him the darkest glare anyone could possible manage. If we weren't in public, she would have sent an knockback spell so powerful, he would have flown through the wall. It's happened before. I didn't answer him. I was too focused on not jumping everyone time someone walked around a corner. Coincidently, the only one of us who wasn't affected by the movie was the werewolf who currently had his arm around me. All the blood and gore hadn't even made him blink.

"The next time you recommend a movie," Tori said, "I'm locking you in the basement."

"Why?" he said. "That was great!"

"That was awful," she said, grabbing a handful of the popcorn before tossing the rest. When Simon walked ahead of her, she grabbed the back of his shirt and dropped the popcorn down. He jumped and started clawing at his back, trying to get it out. We just walked past him and out the doors toward the car. After a couple of minutes, a pissed of Simon walked out and got into the back.

The ride home was filled with silence. Derek was busy watching the road and I spent the trip staring out the window. Tori, even after the popcorn, still was pissed at Simon and glared at him the entire time. The feeling was mutual as he spent the time glaring back. When we pulled into the driveway, I saw that the other car was parked in front of the house, meaning Kit and Aunt Lauren were home.

…,,,…

We had pizza for supper, but I couldn't find the appetite to even take a bite. Aunt Lauren was concerned and kept asking if I was feeling okay. After reassuring her twenty times, I excused myself and went upstairs to lie down. After ten minutes, I heard the door open and shut. The light flashed on, but I didn't turn around. I heard Tori rooting through her dresser and shutting it rather loudly. She then proceeded to turn off the light and leave. I waited for her to come back in, but she never did. After a half hour, I started to fall asleep when I heard the door open again, this time without the light turning on. My blanket lifted slightly and the bed dipped as Derek crawled in next to me, dropping the blanket and wrapping his arm around me. I sighed and leaned back into him.

"I have an idea," he said and I smiled.

…,,,…

"What's the surprise?" Simon asked, following us into the small living room in the back of the house.

"You'll see," I said, walking in. I stayed by the door while Simon walked in farther. He made it to the other side before he realized that we weren't following. He turned around and gave us a confused look.

"What's going on?" he asked, sounding a little nervous.

"Well, because you seem to love movies so much," Derek started.

"We thought we'd let we watch one," I finished.

Simon's smile faltered and he turned around to face the TV just in time for Derek to turn it on with the remote conveniently stashed in his pocket. Simon gasped when he saw Twilight on the screen. Derek hit play and we ran out, locking the door on the outside. I heard Simon run across the room and start pounding on the door yelling at us to let him out. I looked up at Derek and we started laughing.

"Sorry, bro," Derek said, "An eye for an eye."

"And a tooth for a tooth," I said. I smiled up at Derek, who grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen, where Tori was waiting.

"And?" she said.

"The deed is done," I said, trying to keep a straight face.

"Did he scream?" she asked.

"Oh, yes he did," I said, grabbing a Coke from the fridge and sitting at the counter.

"Good," she said. "He deserves it."

We sat in silence for a minute before anyone spoke.

"Want to see a movie?" Tori asked.

"Okay," Derek said, grabbing the car keys.

I stood up and remembered Simon. "Shouldn't we tell Simon?"

"Let him suffer," Tori said, walking out the door. I looked to Derek, who just shrugged and followed Tori outside. I looked back one more time before walking out with them, locking the door behind me.

**Okay, so this started out better in my head. Oh well. And I know its short. I have a new poll on my profile which will affect which story I update sooner. If nobody chooses, I will pick myself.**


	5. Hello

**Okay, so I know that I am behind and I'm really sorry. I'd use school as my excuse but I haven't really been doing my homework either. Anyway, I know you guys were expecting a New Years one next for my other story, but I'm in the mood to attempt my very first song-fic. I haven't done one before, so bear with me. Also, it will be **_**really**_** short. You have been warned. **

**Disclaimer: I do own The Darkest Powers**

**The song is Hello by Evanescence. This takes place when Chloe is six, just after her mom died. **

_Playground school bells rings again_

_Rain clouds come to play again_

_Has no one told you she's not breathing?_

_Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to_

_Hello_

The chilling rain poured over the playground, but I couldn't feel it. Nor could I feel the sharp corner of the brick in the wall behind me. All I felt was empty. I didn't feel sad, I didn't feel angry, I felt…nothing. Aunt Lauren worries. She says it isn't right. She and Daddy sent me to a therapist, but it didn't change anything. He couldn't help me. He couldn't even get me to speak. No words had passed my lips since it happened. My lips remained in the same straight line, my face remained blank. The teachers worry, too. They try to help. They tell me that everything will be okay. They don't think I understand, but it's them that don't understand and they're wrong. _Nothing _will be okay. She's not waiting for me to get home. She's not making cookies for the bake sale next week like she promised. She's in a box in the ground. They try to get me to talk about it, but I refuse. There's nothing to talk about. Instead, I sit and watch the others, my only company being my own thoughts.

_If I smile and don't believe_

_Soon I know I'll wake from this dream_

_Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken_

_Hello I am the lie living for you so you can hide_

_Don't cry_

Daddy says she's gone. I don't believe him. Aunt Lauren says she's gone. I don't believe her, either. I know that if I don't speak, don't move, don't accept…she'll be back. She'll meet me at the door and swing me in a hug. She'll laugh and smile and kiss me goodnight. The therapist tries to help me move on, but I don't need to. She'll be back. She promised to make cookies for the bake sale. She promised. She'll hug me tight and tell me that it was just a dream. She'll hold me and rock me and sing 'Daydream Believer' like she always does. When she gets back.

_Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping_

_Hello, I'm still here_

_All that's left of yesterday_

The apartment is different. Empty. Her coat isn't hanging on the rack when I walk through the door. There's no laughter coming from the kitchen. She's not hugging me and kissing me and telling me it was just a dream. Boxes sit by the door, waiting. I watch as Daddy empties her closet and closes the last box. He carries it to the door and hands it to a man. I run screaming at the man to stop. Daddy grabs me in his arms and holds me back. I can't breathe as the sobs break out. The tears blind me as Daddy holds me tight and I know. She's gone.

**Like I said, short. Really short. I had planned this differently, but this is how it came out. **


	6. Weddings

**Okay, so I'm officially graduating in 16 hours and I wanted to write something quick to celebrate. This will be a two-part one-shot just because it focuses on four different time periods. The last ones will be in the next chapter because it's the longest. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

**This is AU/AH. I apologize now for all the time breaks.**

**Kindergarten: Derek's POV**

"Okay, class," Ms. Adams said. "You're going to have a substitute teacher next week. I want all of you to be on your best behavior and make them feel welcome."

Rae raised her hand. "Why are we getting a new teacher?"

"Not a _new _teacher, Rae, a substitute," she said, smiling. "That means I'm going to be gone next week but I'll be back the week after."

"Where will you be?" she asked.

Ms. Adams patiently answered her. "I'll be out of town. I'm getting married."

"Why?" Brady asked.

Tori said, "Because that's what adults do. Everybody knows that."

"Not everybody gets married, Tori," Ms. Adams corrected her. "Some adults are happy by themselves."

"What's his name?" Mila asked.

"His name is Matthew," Ms. Adams said.

Before more questions could be asked, our class bell rang and the class forgot all about the wedding. The bell meant that we were done for the day and we could go out to the playground and wait for the busses. It was Friday, which meant that the kindergarten classes got out half an hour early. While the rest of the class, including my brother, Simon, and my sister, Tori, raced outside, I took my time and when I was done, I waited for Chloe to finish filling her bag. I've been friends with Chloe since we were assigned table buddies at the beginning of the year.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Uh huh," she said. She pushed in her chair and pulled her bag over her shoulder.

We walked side by side out of the classroom and down the hall to the doors. Behind us, Ms. Adams locked up the classroom and followed behind us to monitor us until the busses came. I made sure to hold the door open for her when she walked out and then Chloe and I made our way over to the swings.

"Why do you think grown-ups get married?" Chloe asked. She sat down on one of the swings and began pumping back and forth.

"I don't know," I said.

"Mommy says that when people love each other, they get married," Chloe said.

"Not everybody who loves each other gets married," I pointed out. "You can't marry your sister."

"I know," she said. "It doesn't count for your family. Do you think I'll ever get married?"

"Sure," I said.

"How about you?" she asked, turning to look at me. "Do you think you'll get married?"

"Maybe," I said.

"Would you marry me?" she asked.

"Why would I marry you?" I asked, stopping my swing.

"Well, people are supposed to marry who they love. And you're my best friend in the whole world," she said.

"But that doesn't mean you love me," I said.

"Mommy showed me her vows to Daddy once," Chloe said. "She said that she was marrying her best friend. And you're my best friend."

"I guess that makes sense," I said, looking down at me feet.

"So, would you marry me?" she asked.

"I guess so," I said.

She smiled and said, "When do you want to do it?"

"Well, Ms. Adams is getting married, so she must be old enough," I said. I thought back to the first day of school when we did introductions. "I think she's twenty six."

"That seems like a good age," Chloe said. "How long until we're twenty six?"

"I think it's twenty one years," I said, thinking.

"Okay," she said.

"What do people do until then?" I asked.

"Well, Ms. Adams has a ring," Chloe pointed out.

"Oh, right," I said. I looked around me and spotted my backpack. Getting up and kneeled in front of it and sifted through it until I found what I was looking for. Pulling out my unopened ring pop, I peeled off the wrapper and stuffed it in my bag. I walked over to Chloe and handed over the candy.

"That's all I got," I said.

"Thanks," she said. She put it on her thumb because it was the only finger it fit on. "Okay. Now all we have to do is wait."

"Sounds good to me," I said. I sat back down on the swing and started pumping. She did the same and we swung until the busses pulled up and the teachers escorted us onto the right one. When Chloe and I split up to get on our own busses, she smiled and waved. I waved back and followed Simon on.

**First Grade- Derek's POV**

"Okay class," Mr. Oldum said. "Today we are saying goodbye to one of our own. I know that you're all going to miss her, but please keep the noise down while you say goodbye."

Chloe stood next to Mr. Oldum as he spoke. She wasn't smiling and her hands were clutching the hem of her shirt. She had told me last week that she was moving away, but I was still sad when Mr. Oldum said it. He was giving her a going away party and I knew that half the class was more focused on the cake than on the fact that Chloe was moving. When he finally let her move from the front of the room, Chloe hurried past everybody to me. While everybody surrounded the table with the cake waiting for their piece, Chloe and I waited at the back of the room.

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked.

"Dad said California, wherever that is," she said.

My heart sank and I said, "It's far away. Dad went there once and he showed us where he went on a map."

"I don't want to leave," she said.

I looked over at her and saw that she was crying. I grabbed her hand and she smiled. "I don't want you to leave either."

"Do you think we'll ever get to see each other again?" she asked.

"Course I do," I said. I nudged her with my shoulder. "We're getting married, remember?"

She grinned broadly. "That's right!"

"And besides, you have my phone number and I have yours. We can talk every night," I said. "As long as Simon isn't talking on it all night."

She giggled and pulled on my hand, "Come on. Let's get some cake before it's all gone."

**Okay, I know that this is incredibly short, but it's only the first part. The next part will be longer. And I'm already pretty far into the next chapter, so I should have it up by Friday night or early Saturday morning. I won't be able to write tomorrow night because I'll be locked in my school til five in the morning and I won't have access to my computer. **


	7. Weddings Part 2

**And here is part two. **

**College: Derek's POV (Derek's third year)**

"What about her? She's hot," Simon said, pointing at a red head standing in front of the food counter.

I glanced over and rolled my eyes. She was wearing shorts than could have been mistaken for denim underwear and a tank top that was so tight, I could see the indent of her tiny belly button ring.

"For the last time, no," I said. "I do not need to date because I am not going."

He looked over at me and sighed. "You've got to live a little, D. We're in college! We're expected to party and get drunk and make complete asses of ourselves. So far, you haven't done any of that."

"And I have no intention of it," I said. I took a bite of my hamburger and grimaced at the taste. Mall food wasn't my favorite, but I was hungry now and I didn't want to wait until we got back to our apartment to order something. Simon dragged me to the mall hours ago so that he could ask some girl to a party. Since then, he's dragged me to every store trying to find something to wear.

"You're starting to bug me," Simon said, slumping back in his chair.

I choked on my food. "_I'm _bugging _you?_ You're the one who dragged me to this god forsaken hellhole when I should be writing a term paper."

"See, that's my point," he said, sitting up and pointing at me. "With you, everything is about school. You never go to parties, you never go on dates, and you never even talk to people at school."

"I didn't pay thousands of dollars in tuition just to get dates," I said. I tossed my garbage in the garbage can behind me. "I paid to get a degree and then get a well paying job. After that's done, _then_ I'll think about my social life."

He sighed in frustration. "I'll make you a deal. If you come with me to this one party just this once, I will leave you to your studies the rest of the semester. Okay?"

I opened my mouth to say no, but then closed it. What was one party compared to a semester of quiet solitude? And it wasn't like I had to stay for the whole thing anyway. I'd just go, stay half an hour, and leave. What's the harm in that?

"No date," I said.

"No date," he said, holding out his hand. I shook his and he stood up. "Besides, there's going to be ton of single girls there anyway."

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself up. I took a step back and hit somebody mid-turn. We both bounced back a little. I looked up to apologize when I froze. In front of me was a girl who looked to be about my age. You couldn't tell by her height, which was easily a foot shorter than my 6'2'', but she had a sense of maturity. I couldn't see her face underneath the locks of strawberry blond hair falling in her face as she leaned down to make sure she didn't have anything on her. When she looked up, there was a sense of familiarity, but I couldn't quite place where I knew her from.

"I'm so sorry," she said. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"That's alright," I said. "Neither was I."

She smiled at my comment. It reached her eyes and I noticed they were blue and again very familiar, but I just couldn't place where I had seen her before.

"It was nice, well, bumping into you," she said, a hint of laughter in her voice. She took a step over so that I could walk through. As she began walking, she turned and said, "Maybe we'll bump into each other again sometime."

"Maybe," I said and watched her walk over to a table occupied by a group of people. I recognized one of the guys from my physics class. I looked over at Simon to ask if he was ready to go when I noticed the look on his face. "What?"

"What? _What?_ What do you mean what?" he asked, waving his arms. "How could you…she was…ugh." He slapped his forehead. "I can't believe you're my brother. You just let a totally hot girl walk away without even _sounding_ interested."

"I'm not interested," I said. "And I told you. No date."

"That was before you slammed into a girl who was definitely giving a signal," he said.

"A signal? What the hell does that mean?" I asked.

"She was interested," he said.

"In what?" I asked.

"In you!" he said. He slapped his forehead again and mumbled to himself while walking away, "I can't believe he just let her go. A perfect opportunity to get a date and he blew it."

I rolled my eyes and followed him. It was no use arguing with him on the matter. I wasn't going to win either way. I never did when it came to the opposite sex. Before going down the escalator, I glanced over my shoulder one last time and looked at the girl I had bumped into. I knew her from somewhere, I just couldn't remember where.

…,,,…

"How long does it take to pick out a shirt?" I called to Simon from the living room of our small apartment where I was lounging on the couch. "You only bought one."

We both got into the same college, UCLA, and we jumped at the opportunity. Surprisingly, it had just what both of us were looking for. I had lived in a dorm my first year and regretted it the entire time. Our second year, we splurged and got an apartment off campus that was close enough to the college to walk to but also close enough to the mall so that Simon had an opportunity to make up for the fact that he wasn't meeting any girls in a dorm.

"It doesn't work," he called back.

I looked over at my shoulder in the direction of his room and said, "It's a shirt. What the hell is it supposed to do? Dance the mamba?"

"It doesn't create the right image," he said.

"What does it matter?" I asked. "You're only going to the party to get laid. I doubt they are going to decide based on what shirt you're wearing."

"Remember that chick I went out with last semester?" he asked. "The one that freaked out that my shirt was one hundred percent cotton and said that I was killing innocent plants?"

"And then there was the one that was pissed because you called her a chick," I said.

He walked out and held his arms out. "Well?"

"Well what?" I asked. "Do you want a reward because you can dress yourself?"

He half glared at me. "I meant what do you think?"

"I think you're slow and I'm bored," I said, standing up. He sighed and followed me to the door. I grabbed my keys and shoved them in my pocket. Simon made sure the door was locked and we left.

After ten minutes of walking, we made it to the campus and Simon took the lead because he knew where the party was. I followed behind him and looked around at the groups of people who had obviously either wandered off from the party we were going to or one similar. A lot of them were clearly drunk, while a small number of them we providing the shoulder needed to lean on to make it home safe. I had a feeling I was going to be playing that part tonight.

After walking through many hallways, I could hear music blaring way past the normal decibels and I cringed when the door opened. I resisted the urge to cover my ears and instead followed Simon inside. I knew a lot of the people, but I didn't like any of them enough to have a conversation with outside of class.

"Okay, I'll stay for half an hour and then I'm gone," I informed him.

"But you can't have fun in just half an hour," he complained. "I'll make you a deal. You stay a whole hour and I'll stop bringing home girls, okay?"

"We both know you won't keep you're end of the bargain," I said.

"Fine," he said. "Stay a whole hour and I'll stop making out with them in places where you can walk in, okay?"

"Deal," I said.

He slapped me on the back and walked off toward a group of girls. I suddenly wondered what happened to his date but dismissed the thought. It didn't really matter if he arrived with a date. He'd leave with one either way. I spotted a table overflowing with beer and I walked over. Grabbing a can, I squeezed past hordes of people reeking of alcohol and made my way to a set of double doors leading out to a small open area outside. The room the party was in normally served as a study lounge and on nice days, I studied out here where it was more peaceful.

No one was outside and I relaxed. I just had to stay out here for an hour and I could leave. Spotting my usual spot, I walked over and dropped into the chair. I leaned back and lifted my feet to rest on another chair. Pulling the tab open, I took a drink of my beer and leaned my head back.

After fifteen minutes, I could feel myself falling into a light sleep. Before I could fall the rest of the way, I felt someone bump into my shoulder. Confused, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see the girl from the mall. Her blond hair was confined into a tight ponytail and she had a mischievous look on her face.

"What was that for?" I asked.

"I told you maybe we'd bump into each other," she said, smiling. "I kept my word."

I let out a small laugh and sat up. "So that makes you true to your word."

"Well, I'm one for one," she said. I noticed she had a beer nestled in her hands and remembered my neglected one. Taking a long swig of mine and tossed the empty can into a nearby bin.

She held out her hand and said, "I'm Chloe."

I returned the gesture and said, "Derek."

"Yeah, I know. I had a professional writer's class with you last semester," she said.

Surprised, I asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, you sat in the way back by the door and I sat in the front row," she said. "I'm assuming it was so that you could escape fast."

"Probably," I said. "I think I repressed anything to do with that class."

"Well it was worthy of it," she said, smiling.

"Then why did you sit up front?" I asked.

"Because I was always one of the last ones in and the front was the only thing open," she said.

"Sounds rough," I said.

She laughed. "So what are you doing here? You don't strike me as the party kind."

"I don't?" I asked, raising as eyebrow.

"You've been here twenty minutes and you've been outside the entire time," she said, as-a-matter-of-factly.

I nodded and said. "I hate parties. My brother dragged me along."

"How big is your brother? He must be pretty big to be able to drag you here," she said.

I looked over at her and realized she was making fun of me. Smiling, I said, "Oh yeah. He's seven feet tall and can lift a semi with his pinky."

"Hmm," she said. "Someone should call the Justice League. We just found their lost superhero."

I laughed. She smiled at me before looking back at the party briefly. "Got someone waiting?"

"Kinda," she said. "Just a friend of mine who gets a little too excited when she drinks."

"Is that why _you're _here?" I asked.

"What? I don't seem like the partying kind?" she asked, smiling at me.

"I'm not the only one who's outside," I said.

"Touché," she said. "I don't _hate_ parties, but I don't exactly love them either. I usually stay for half an hour and then split. Besides, free beer."

"Well consider yourself lucky. I'm stuck here a full hour," I said.

"Why? Did you sign some sort of contract on the way in?"

"I made a deal with my brother," I said.

"The superhero?" she said.

"Yeah," I said. "I made him two deals actually. I came, so he'll leave me to my studies for the rest of the semester and I'm staying an hour so he'll stop making out with girls where I can walk in out them."

"That seems like a good trade," she said. She drank the rest of her beer and attempted to throw into the bin with mine. She missed by a mile and I laughed.

"You're a suck shot," I said.

"I am not," she said. "It was the beer."

"Yeah, that's why your wobbling around and slurring," I said sarcastically.

She stuck her tongue out at me and picked up her can. She dropped it in the bin and was about to walk back over to where I was sitting when there was a crash inside. She sighed and said, "That's probably Amber."

"That's your friend?" I asked.

"Yeah. I better take her home," she said. "Maybe I'll see you sometime."

"Maybe," I said.

She walked away. Halfway to the door, she stopped and turned around. "Are you going to the party next week?"

"Where at?" I asked.

"Here," she said.

"Probably not," I said.

"Pity," she said, that mischievous look returning. She smiled and went inside.

I haven't had the best luck when it came with girls, mostly because I've never cared to start the conversation, but even with my limited experience I knew what that look meant. Leaning back, I smiled. Maybe I would make an appearance to that party.

…,,,… 

"You ready?" I called to Simon.

I didn't get an answer and I sighed. Of course he would take forever. I glanced at my watch and wondered why exactly I was going to this thing anyway. Didn't I make a deal with Simon specifically so that I didn't have to do this? I could tell myself that the reason I made sure to have my work done for tonight was that I could make sure the Simon made it home safe after the party, but even I knew I was kidding myself. The only reason I was abandoning my nighttime ritual of schoolwork was to see if Chloe showed up. She made it sound like she was going. She certainly implied that she wouldn't mind seeing me there, and I definitely wouldn't mind seeing her. Since the party last week, I've been more aware of the people at college as I walked to my classes. I've seen her once or twice, but she was always with a group of her friends and I didn't want to interrupt.

"Okay, ready," Simon said, walking into the living room.

I nodded and gestured to the door. He walked out and I locked it behind me.

"So, why are you going with me?" he asked. "You hate parties."

"Something to do I guess," I lied. "And I could a beer or two."

"Good enough for me," he said. He rubbed his hands together and said, "I'm just hoping Amanda is there tonight."

"Amanda?" I asked.

"She's in my photography class," he explained. "She's definitely interested, but she won't say yes to a date."

"If she was interested, wouldn't she say yes to a date?" I asked.

"Not if she's playing hard to get," he said. "Or if she's worried that it's just a one date thing."

"Or here's a wacky thought. Maybe she _isn't _interested," I said.

"Oh she is," he said, smiling. I rolled my eyes and followed him silently.

Soon enough, we were back in the hallway with the blaring music. And just like last time, I swear my ears were going to bleed. Simon immediately wandered off to find his new conquest while I snatched a beer off the table and made my way back outside. Chloe wasn't there, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be later. I found my seat and got comfortable.

After my second beer, I was starting to doubt that she would show. I sighed and leaned my head back. Closing my eyes, I tried to drown out the abnormally loud music and concentrated on the breeze as it lightly brushed my skin. After a while, I was concentrating so much, I didn't notice someone walk up until they bumped my shoulder. I smiled and opened my eyes. Sitting next to me with her legs drawn up was Chloe. She smirked at me and I said,

"Go ahead. Say it."

"Say what?" she asked innocently, trying to fight a smile and failing.

I gave her a look and she laughed. "So what happened to 'I hate parties?'"

"I do hate them," I said. Smiling at her, I said, "But there's free beer."

"Always a great motive," she said. "You sure it wasn't for another reason?"

"I'm not going to say it," I said.

"You came to see if I was going to show," she accused.

"I didn't say it," I said.

"You did!" she said, grinning broadly.

"I won't admit it," I said, smiling.

"So, how long have you been waiting?" she asked.

I checked my watch and was surprised to see that I had been sitting outside for more than an hour. She saw the surprise on my face and said,

"That long?" she asked, "You must have _really _wanted to see me."

"Well, it was either this or sit at home in quiet solitude until my brother stumbles through the door at one in the morning," I said. "Course, now that I think about it…"

"Well, _I'm _glad you came," she said. "I now have an excuse to escape the drunkenness of inside."

"I'm glad I can be of service," I said. I took a swig of my beer and lowered it back down by my lap.

"So, how is the superhero?" she asked.

Confused, I asked, "Who?"

"Your brother?"

"Oh, right. Probably drunk off his gourd by now," I said.

"Maybe I should introduce my friend to him," she said. "They seem like they would be a good match."

"Is that why you're here?" I asked. "Your friend again?"

She turned her head, but I saw a blush creeping up her face. I smiled and said, "You came to see me."

"I'm not going to say it," she mimicked me. She kept her head ducked, but I knew she was smiling.

I gently used my finger on her chin so that I could see her face. I looked her in the eye and took a deep breath. "Do you want to go out with me sometime? Somewhere that doesn't involve obnoxious music and a theme of beer?"

She opened her mouth and shut it. Her face was serious, but there was a hint of humor in it. "There's something you should know about me."

"What?" I asked.

"I'm engaged," she said.

I dropped my hand and sat back. I was not expecting that. I'm sure I resembled a fish at how many times I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it when the words wouldn't come. Eventually, I turned away and looked down at my feet.

"You're not wearing a ring," I observed, not knowing what else to say.

"It doesn't really go with this outfit," she said. "Or with any of my outfits. Also, I worry about ants."

I looked at her. "Ants?"

"It's a candy ring," she explained.

"He got you a candy ring?" I sat up straight. "He couldn't at least get you something nicer. Plastic is even better."

"That's all he could afford," she said.

I looked back down. "This is going to make me sound like an ass, but why the hell did you say yes? He can't even afford to get you a ring that isn't made of candy."

"Well, most five year olds can't afford anything else," she said.

"You're engaged to a five year old?" I asked, looking up at her sharply.

"That's when he proposed," she said.

"How old were you?" I asked.

"Five," she said.

I nodded and looked back down. I heard her stand up. I felt her place a small kiss on my cheek close to the corner of my mouth and slip a piece of paper into my hand.

"Come find me when you figure it out," she said. She started walking away and I called after her, "Figure what out?"

"That would be cheating," she said before going inside.

I stared at the place she went in for a few minutes before I looked down at the piece of folded paper. I carefully opened it. She had written her phone number and an address down. I pocketed it and got up. I checked to make sure Simon wasn't making an idiot of himself and then fled.

…,,,…

Staring at the ceiling, I fingered the piece of paper in my right hand. Figure what out? What the hell was there to figure out? She was engaged and therefore I was back where I started. And home, alone in the dark. I closed my eyes and thought about what she said. She got engaged when she was five to a boy who gave her a candy ring. Like her, that seemed familiar. It was gnawing at me. I _knew_ that it was familiar, but I could not for the life of me remember.

I heard the front door open and close and then two sets of laughter. I waited for Simon's door to close and I sighed. Another morning of waking up to find a strange girl standing in our kitchen. I turned my head and my eyes rested on my closet door. I sat up and looked at it. Standing up, I walked over and opened the door. The box I was looking for was buried underneath blankets on the high shelf. After being semi-buried, I finally found it. I carried it over to my bed and opened it. It was filled with pictures, mementos, etc. It was mostly family pictures and stuff like tickets to baseballs games I went to as a kid. As I was sifting through, I came across something that I forgot I put in there and I was confused as to why I would ever keep it. It was a candy wrapper. More specifically, it was the wrapper to a ring pop. I held it and turned it over, trying to remember why I would keep it. Something caught my eye and I reached down. It was the back of a school photo. Written in messy letters was the name CHLOE SAUNDERS.

I turned it over and smiled. A little girl with strawberry blond hair and big blue eyes smiled wide at the camera. I smiled down at it and looked over at the candy wrapper. Grinning like an idiot, I leaned back against my pillow and closed my eyes.

…,,,…

When I knocked a third time, I finally heard something on the other side of the door. The door opened and very sleepy looking Chloe looked out. She could barely keep her eyes open and was squinting through the hall light.

"Derek?" she asked, yawning. "It's three in the morning."

"I know," I said, rocking back on my heels. I leaned forward and planted a small kiss on her cheek. "I brought you something."

"It couldn't wait?" she asked.

"No," I said. "Hold out your hand."

She held out her right hand, but I gestured to her other hand. When she held it out, I gently grabbed it and slid a cheap, plastic ring on her ring finger, the kind you get out of a quarter machine. She looked down at her hand, confused.

"I figured you could use an upgrade," I said.

It took a few seconds to get through her sleepy haze, but she finally understood and smiled down at it. She looked up at me and I took a step closer. She took the hint and leaned up to meet by lips. I wrapped her in my arms and held on like I couldn't do so many years ago. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on tight. When we ran out of breath, I buried my face in her neck and refused to let go.

"I'll get you a new one next year," I said. "And every year until we're twenty five. And each year will be an upgrade."

"Why twenty five?" she asked.

"I figure at twenty five, I can get you a real engagement ring and then when we're twenty six…" I said, trailing off.

She smiled. "We don't have to wait that long if you want."

"We made a promise," I said, looking down at her. "And I intend to keep it. If you want thought, I can probably find a candy necklace to go with the ring."

She laughed and kissed me. "I still have it."

"I still have the wrapper," I said.

She pulled away and took a step back into her apartment. "Do you want to come in?"

"Actually, I'd really like to sleep," I said.

"I have a bed," she said.

"Sounds like a plan," I said, following her in and shutting the door behind us.

…,,,…

**5 years later**

"Where is that man?" Tori muttered angrily.

The window was open, so I could clearly hear her from my perch on the roof. I wasn't hiding. I just needed sometime to breathe. All day, I've been surrounded by people telling me how to walk, what to say, even the proper way to wear my cufflinks. I was probably holding up the wedding, but if I hadn't made it outside when I did, I probably would have stabbed somebody with those cufflinks.

"You're not thinking of fleeing, are you?" a teasing voice said beneath me.

I looked down and smiled and the blond standing on her balcony looking up at me. "I wouldn't dream of it. I just needed fresh air and quiet."

She held up her hand and I reached down and grabbed it. I carefully helped her up onto the roof and next to me. She breathed in and out deeply and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" I asked.

"You aren't the only one needing a break," she said. "I got scolded for wearing a hair pin an inch to high."

"Any fatalities?" I asked.

"No, but I wanted to," she said.

She looked out over the lawn of her dad's house in Buffalo, where our wedding was taking place. We would have used our own place just half an hour away, but it wouldn't have accommodated so many people. I followed her eyes and watched everybody working. For all the hard work everybody was putting into this, I felt guilty that inside I hated all of it. It was too much. When I thought of marrying Chloe, all I could think of was something simple, but special. This went way beyond it. I had specifically told Tori and Sam, Chloe's friend, that I didn't want anything too big.

"You want to run, too?" Chloe asked.

"What? No!" I said. I caught on to exactly what she said. "Too? You don't want to get married?"

"Derek," she said, cupping my cheek. "I want to marry you. But I don't want to be a centerpiece so some extravagant show."

I sighed and looked out over the lawn again. An idea struck me and I smiled. "Do you think you can find the minister and bring him to my dressing room?"

"Why?" she asked.

"I have an alternative," I said.

She looked a little unconvinced but she nodded. I helped her down to her own balcony and then escaped onto mine right next to hers. I listened to make sure that Tori was no longer inside my room and I slipped inside, where Simon was asleep on the bed. I shook him awake.

"What?" he said, sleepily.

"I need a favor," I said.

"Does it involve getting up?" he asked.

"Actually no," I said. "I need you to be a witness."

"Derek, if you're going to kill someone, it's probably best not to have a witness," he said, turning over and burying his face into the pillow.

I slapped my forehead. "I'm not going to kill anyone. I need you to be the witness while I get married."

"I thought I was already doing that," he said. "When does it start anyway?"

"It's not going to if this works," I said.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "You're walking out on Chloe? What the hell, man!"

"Stop shouting," I said. "And no, I'm not walking out on her. I'm marrying her. Without the wedding."

"How are you going to do that?" he asked.

"If you wait here, you'll see," I said.

I walked out of the room and turned down the hall towards the stairs. I slipped down without being detected, but then ran into someone when I turned the corner. Before she could speak, I slapped a hand over Sam's mouth.

"I need a favor," I said.

She pried my hand off her mouth and said, "What in it for me?"

"A vacation to sunny California," I said.

She didn't even think it over. "Alright. What do I have to do?"

"I need you to be a witness," I said. "I'll explain upstairs."

"Why not?" she said. "The champagne isn't out for a few hours, so I have some time to kill."

I led her upstairs to my room. Chloe had found the minister and was waiting when we got there.

"The explanations can start at any time," Sam said, plopping down on the bed next to Simon.

I turned to Chloe. "You don't want an extravagant wedding and neither do I. If we go down there, we'll be whisked away and polished and shined until we meet someone else's qualifications for a wedding. But, all we need is to be married by the minister and have witnesses."

She smiled softly. "Did I ever tell you you're a genius?"

"Many times," I said. "And I'm not."

"You were smart enough to think of this," she said.

"More like desperate enough," I said. "Well, what do you think? Will you marry me?"

"Do I even need to say it?" she smiled.

…,,,…

**Kit's POV**

"Any sign of them?" Steve asked.

"I can't even find Simon," I said. "Maybe there's something in Derek's room."

We went in and I immediately saw a piece of paper fluttering in the breeze from the open window. It was held down by a ring box. I slid off the box and picked the paper up. I scanned it and smiled. It was a signed marriage license, complete with Derek and Chloe's signature as well as the minister's. At the bottom, Simon and Sam had signed as witnesses.

"Kudos, Derek," I said to myself.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

I handed it over and he looked it over. He threw back his head and laughed.

"Where do you suppose they are?" he asked.

"Probably on their way to California," I said. I looked out the window at all the people. "Now how to we tell over a hundred people that the wedding is off because both the bride and groom split?"

"Use them as an example," Steve said. "I hear Tino's is open until seven. Everybody should be gone by then. I'll grab Jenny and sneak the car around to the front."

"Sounds like a plan," I said. He left and I looked at the ring box still sitting on the desk. I opened it and smiled. The inside had been carved out to fit the candy ring nestled in ripped up cotton balls, something done by the hand of a child. I shut the box and set it back down.

Quietly, I repeated, "Kudos, Derek."

**Okay, so I want to first apologize for the wait. I got a little distracted. I know that first part isn't exactly wedding related, but oh well. **


	8. Payback's A Bitch

**Okay, I thought of this one a while ago, but I never really got around to writing it. Just a little background information, it has been a year since they escaped the Edison group. They are in hiding in a small house in the country. Also, this is going to be very short. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Darkest Powers**

**Derek's POV:**

I searched through my entire closet and couldn't find a single sweatshirt. My mind instantly went to Chloe, but there was no way she took every single sweatshirt. One or two maybe, but not all. I was the only one who did my laundry, so it was impossible that they were put away somewhere else. I shut my closet door and went in search of Simon.

I found him lounging on the couch in front of the TV.

"Have you seen any of my sweatshirts?" I asked. "They're not in my closet."

Without looking up, he pointed out the window and went back to his show. Confused, I walked over to the window and looked out just in time to witness one of my sweatshirts go up in flames. I ran out of the room towards the front door. Yanking the door open, I bolted outside and ran to where Tori was stringing up the last of my sweatshirts. Before I could stop her, she shot an energy bolt at it and reduced it to ashes.

"What the hell, Tori?" I demanded.

She glanced at me uncaringly and then back to what she was doing.

"I needed targets," she said. "Your clothes are the biggest."

"So you disintegrated them?" I asked.

"Well, I wasn't about to use _my _clothes," she said. She gathered up the rest of her things and walked past me. "Oh, and Chloe was looking for you."

I was so angry, I almost couldn't answer. "What did she want?"

"How the hell should I know? She just told me if I saw you that she wanted to see you," she said. And then, as an afterthought, she said, "That was a couple of hours ago."

"Damn it, Tori," I growled and walked past her to find Chloe.

"It's not my fault if you can't even talk to your own girlfriend," she said.

I ignored her and headed into the house. As I passed the living room, I stopped and walked up behind Simon.

"Why didn't you stop her?" I asked.

He pointed to the TV, not looking away from the screen. Pursing my lips, I reached over and snatched the remote off the table. Switching the TV off, I pocketed the remote. Simon turned around.

"What the hell, man?" he asked.

I just walked out. I found Chloe lying on her bed with Dad's laptop open in front of her. She looked up and smiled when I walked in. All the anger I felt drained as soon as I saw her smile.

"Hey," she said.

"You wanted something?" I asked.

"Oh, I was hoping for a ride, but the store is closed now," she said.

Sighing, I sat down next to her. "I'm sorry. Tori just told me."

"It's okay," she said. "Maybe tomorrow."

"Tomorrow for sure," I promised. "What did you want?"

"None of your business, that's what," she said with a smile.

"Oh," I said. "_That_."

"Yes, _that,_" she said. "And I was kinda hoping to stop at the mall. I had a little laundry mishap and I kinda need some stuff."

The way she was blushing, I knew that I wouldn't be allowed to shop with her. I nodded and started to get up. Chloe reached out and grabbed my wrist. I turned back to see what she wanted. She pulled on my arm.

"Stay with me a while," she said. "I haven't seen you all day."

I settled down next to her and wrapped one arm around her waist. I followed her eyes to the screen and saw that she was on eBay. I didn't ask her what she was doing, but I soon found out. She wasn't buying anything, but she was comparing prices on some books. Supernatural books.

"What are you doing?" I finally asked.

"Doing Kit a favor," she answered. "He was made an offer for a set of stuff to help with the St. Clouds and he wanted to know if they could be found cheaper. They're not anything dangerous or anything. Simple grimoires."

"Don't let Tori anywhere those," I said.

"What did she do this time?" Chloe asked as she continued typing.

"At this point, the only sweatshirts I own that are not disintegrated are the ones squirreled away in your closet," I said.

She immediately stopped what she was doing and turned to me, confusion etched on her face.

"Disintegrated?"

"Tori used them as target practice," I explained.

"She seems to be doing more and more to piss you off lately," Chloe commented. "I wonder if she's up to something."

"The only thing she's up to is seeing how far she can take it before I break," I said. "Simon reacts every time she pisses him off and I don't. She wants that reaction. She feeds off it."

"You make her sound evil," Chloe said. "She's just bored."

"You're only saying that because she hasn't done anything to piss you off as of late," I said. I leaned my head onto her shoulder and watched her at work.

"We could get you some more tomorrow," Chloe offered.

I sighed. "And I'll have to pay for it. I should make Dad pay. If he would have kept it in his pants, Tori wouldn't be our problem."

"She wouldn't exist," Chloe pointed out.

"Even better," I said.

Hair fell into her face and she blew it back, in the process hitting me face with it. I blew it back at her and she looked back at me, smiling. I leaned forward and captured her lips. The computer forgotten, she turned at wrapped her arms around my neck so that I was now laying over her with her on her back. I sensed movement and cracked an eye open. The computer lifted and settled onto the desk. When the door shut itself and the locked clicked, I smiled and sent a silent thanks to Liz.

...,,,…

"I'm going to go replace what I destroyed in the wash," Chloe said. She handed me a folded up piece of paper and asked, "Can you get the stuff on this list while I'm busy?"

"Sure," I said.

I grabbed the list from her and she went on her way. Unfolding it, I scanned the stuff and set off towards health and beauty. She was pretty specific on her list, so I had no difficulty finding what she wanted. I did, however, get some funny looks as I searched the mainly feminine items. When I got her tampons, two women stared at me. One sported a creeped out look at me grabbing tampons and the other was looking at me like I was the greatest male on the face of the Earth for even touching them. I just ignored them and went for the last thing on Chloe's list: her shampoo. As I walked down the aisle to the shampoos, I had to pass half an aisle of hair color. Something caught my eye and I stopped. I stared at the box in front of me and shook my head. I continued on and found her shampoo just in time for her to turn the corner into the aisle.

"Find everything?" she asked.

"Uh huh," I said.

"Thanks," she said. "I know you don't like coming shopping."

"It's fine," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Can we go? There are two women watching me from around the corner."

She looked around me and I heard gasps and giggles coming from the next aisle. I gave Chloe a look when she looked at me, amused. This just egged her on and she started teasing me. I didn't stop her though. She enjoyed doing it, and if I'm in a good enough mood, I'll usually put up with it and even tease her back. Today, though, I just listened to her teasing in silence while my mind wandered back to what I looked at in the hair aisle. _ I shouldn't. It would be going too far. On the other hand…_

…,,,…

The doorbell rang and Dad looked up from his paper.

"That'll be the pizza," he said.

"I got it," I offered, standing up.

I stepped over Chloe's outstretched legs and headed to the front door. Sure enough, the smell of overly-cheesed pizza wafted through the door. When I opened the door, I discovered the pizza guy went to my school. He saw me and I could clearly see disappointment on his face. He had been hoping for Tori, who he opening confessed his love to fairly often. I had to hide a smirk as I thought of what his face would look like when she showed up to school on Monday. Quickly paying him, I closed the door and headed back to living room to continue the movie we were all watching. Chloe and Simon had a debate over what to watch and Chloe had ultimately won in a landslide because Dad refused to vote and Lauren automatically sided with Chloe. Tori declared her vote for Chloe merely because she wasn't Simon and then proceeded to walk out of the room. My choice was rather obvious, which was why Iron Man was now playing on the TV screen instead of the Incredible Hulk.

"Yes!" Chloe said when I walked in. "Bring on the greasy goodness."

I set the pizza on the table and everyone dived for it. I just lifted my box over their heads and took my seat. As soon as I was comfortable, I opened the box and lifted out a piece. Chloe grabbed a slice and settled herself against me. Switching the pizza to my other hand, I wrapped my arm around her.

"Where's Tori?" Simon asked. "She's missing out on the food."

"She's taking a shower," Lauren answered.

I stopped mid-bite. Checking my watch, I smirked. Just a few more minutes. I listened carefully and heard the water shut off upstairs. A minute later, an ear-piercing scream filled the house. Everyone jumped and looked up.

"What the hell was that?" Simon asked.

From upstairs, Tori yelled at the top of her lungs. "Derek!"

I just smiled and leaned back, propping my feet up on the table and crossing my arms behind my head. They all turned to me, each one sporting an equally confused look. A minute later, booming footsteps sounded down the stairs and Tori burst into the living room wrapped in a robe. Simon took one look at her and burst out in hysterical laughing. Lauren looked at her in horror. Chloe covered her mouth in shock. Dad, try as he might, had a hard time keeping his face straight. Standing in the doorway, a fuming Tori was glaring at me with bright pink hair.

"Oh, Tori," Lauren said, "What have you done to your hair?"

She screamed out angrily and two bright energy balls started forming.

"Tori, calm down," Dad commanded. "I'm sure it will wash right out in few days."

"Days?" she cried. "Days!?"

She chucked the box at him that I had conveniently left at the top of the garbage can and yelled, "Try three months!"

"Oops," I said, innocently. "I must have grabbed the wrong box. I meant to grab the temporary one. But, you know how bad I am at hair dye."

I grinned down at Chloe, who couldn't hold back a laugh.

"How the hell am I supposed to go to school with pink hair?" she yelled.

"Actually," I said. "It's bubble gum pink."

She started two more energy balls, but Dad stopped them. I stood up and shoved my hands in my pockets. Casually walking out of the room, I leaned down when I walked past her and said, "Payback's a bitch."

**That idea was better in my head. **


End file.
